


car meet cobana

by timberwolfoz



Series: won't be long before I cave in [9]
Category: New Blood (TV)
Genre: M/M, Multi, Post-Series, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 03:41:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11865933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timberwolfoz/pseuds/timberwolfoz
Summary: Rash and Stefan join Rash's cousin Rahim and his partners at the car meet, and Stefan gets to meet more of Rash's fam.Trigger warning for racist slur (which Rash recounts as being used towards him when he was on the beat).With grateful thanks to pantsaretherealheroes for reading an earlier draft of this story and reassuring me it was good (I was thinking I was going to have to bin it) and to Heliophile for doing a sterling editing/beta'ing/Britpicking job, in which she transformed my prose into what I meant to say as opposed to what I did say.Thanks again to pantsaretherealheroes for the title suggestion, and to mcicioni for introducing me to the adorable prats in the first place.





	car meet cobana

"If we turn up to a car meet on our bikes, we're going to get a kicking, right?" said Stefan.

"Oh, mate, would we ever," said Rash.  "And we wouldn't want to ride from there in the evening anyway."

"Not with all those cars," opined Stefan.  "So, train it?"

"Yeah.  We could probably beg a lift from one of Rahim's mates, but nah, they'll be in car prep mode if I know them.  Probably catch one with someone on the way back, though."

"Nice," said Stefan.   "We, um, going to get a kicking anyway?"

"Nah, should be all right," Rash reassured him.  "If we were going on our own I'd be a _little_ more worried, but we'll be with Rahim's lot, we'll be fine.  So long as you don't snog me in the middle of everything, that is."

"Ah, you see, now I want to do just that," declared Stefan.

"Pillock," said Rash, nevertheless walking up to Stefan and sliding his arms around his waist.  "You'll just have to get it out of your system before we go then, won't you?"

"Not possible, but I'll give it a damned good try," said Stefan, pulling him close.

 

* * *

 

Rash's predictions were accurate. As they entered the carpark at the venue he was quickly hailed by a whistle and a "Rash!  Over here!"  Rash waved in acknowledgement and put a hand on Stefan's back, escorting him over.

"Hey, man," he greeted Rahim, exchanging a greeting involving a complicated fist bump and a kiss on both cheeks.  "This is Stefan."

"Hey, Stefan, good to meet you at last," Rahim replied, stepping back and kissing Stefan on the cheek, making Stefan blink and Rash roll his eyes in exasperation.  "Everyone, you remember my cousin, Rash the cop?"  Rash gave him an exasperated look.  "So nothing funny in front of him, right?  And this is his mate, Stefan.  Mate?" he asked Rash more quietly, with a lift of his eyebrow.

"That'll do," said Rash, as the crowd – a mixed race group including two women wearing the hijab – acknowledged their arrival with nods and the occasional greeting.  "Let me see if I remember everyone for Stef."  He counted off counter-clockwise, "Rahim, Fatima, Mark, Jess, Arman, Jez, Kev, Vihaan, Jas, Gul, Harry, Ebony, Jakob, Ben, Kir, Nilaya.  Have I got everyone?"

"You have!  Good to see you again, Rash, nice to meet you, Stefan," said Fatima, a delicate-featured woman who was stylishly dressed, wearing a scarf looped around her hair that echoed Rash's earliest memories of his mother.

"You're good," said Nilaya, sounding impressed.

"Goes with the job," said Rash, provoking an  'oooooooh' of feigned awe from someone in the group. He grinned; "Relax, I don't do traffic.  So, fill us in.  What's happening tonight?"

"Just the usual, man, cruising around, winding a bit," said Gul.  "Gotta be sure the cars are in top shape. So yeah.  What kind of car do you have, Rash?  Stefan?"

"We, er, don't _have_ a car," said Stefan, grinning sheepishly at the resulting chorus of boos and jeers.  "We … haven't really needed one?"

"Might need to look into one, though, if my DI does what he keeps threatening and has my DS call me in at all hours."

"If you do, Rash, let us know, we'll find you a good one," Rahim said.  "Right, you lot, get down to it, we've still got work to get them ready."

As Rash and Stefan stood there, eyeing the activity and the interaction, Stefan leant close and, putting one hand on Rash's shoulder, murmured in his ear, "What's the deal with your cousin and … Fatima?  And Vihaan?"

"They're together now is all I know, but for a while no-one was sure," murmured Rash back, turning his face almost into Stefan's neck so that there was no chance he'd be lip read.  "Remember how I told you about him telling the family to back off?  That's why."

"Ohhhhh," said Stefan in an understanding tone.

At that moment Rahim yelled, "Oi!  Rash!  Stop canoodling and come and give me a hand with this bloody wrench!"

"You are dead meat, mate, you are dead meat on a stick," retorted Rash as he walked over, Stefan trailing after him.

"Eh, most of them'll think I'm just arseing around with you."

"That sounds even worse," said Rash, taking the wrench and holding it where Rahim indicated.

"Right, keep pressure on it while I…"

"You know anything about cars, Stefan?" asked Fatima, looking up from where she was frowning over an arrangement of wires.

"Bit of basic stuff, needed it with my old flatmate Jan's Ford Transit van or we may as well have had the RAC on retainer," said Stefan.

"Cool." She turned her head and called, "Ebony!  Harry!  Got another pair of hands for you!"

"Nice!  Come on over, Stefan!" called Ebony.

Stefan gave Rash a friendly tap on the back and did so.

 

* * *

 

While the official start time was 5, things didn't really kick off until after 6.

They spent the time working on the group's cars or wandering in groups from car to car or group to group, admiring or in some cases loudly jeering at the other groups' cars.  Stefan had tensed slightly at the first loud and expletive-filled exchange but Rash put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it fleetingly.  Nilaya shook her head at him and mouthed _they're always shit-talking, 's nothing_.

Stefan mimed sagging with relief, which made her laugh.  He edged nearer and asked, "How'd you get into this?"

"Vihaan and Ebony," she explained.  "Vihaan and I were sort of going out at the time – more as old friends than anything else, and I've known Ebony since nursery school.  So when they both said to come along, I gave it a go."

"You work on cars?"

"Yeah, we both do," said Ebony, coming over and linking arms with Nilaya in a pointed fashion.

"Nice," said Stefan.  "You two do this for a living or – "

"No, she's a nursery school teacher – " Ebony started,

"And _she's_ doing an apprenticeship," returned Nilaya, raising her eyebrows at Ebony in return. 

"Mechanic's?" asked Rash.

"Yeah."

"What do the kids think?  Do you tell them?" he asked Nilaya.

"Oh yeah," she said with a wide grin.  "They all want to hear about how Miss Nilaya's car is going.  That or the dancing."

"Contrast," said Stefan.

"Goes with the territory," said Ebony, gesturing at the cars around them.

"Yeah," said Stefan, studying the cars, both the ones parked and the ones cruising, which ranged from cheap cars which had been modded to some seriously pricey BMWs and Mercs.  "They all been modded?"

"I'd say so," said Nilaya.  "Even if it's just under the bonnet."

"And like ten coatings of wax," put in Gul, provoking snorts of laugher.  "How you enjoying it, Stefan?"

"Yeah, only understanding about one word in twenty, but yeah," said Stefan with a grin.

"Eh, you'll pick it up," said Gul.  "You two meet doing Rash's triathlon things?"

"Duathlon, but yeah," said Stefan, exchanging a reminiscent grin with Rash.

"We'd better get back," said Ebony, checking her watch.  "The others have gone and we want to have the cars at their best."

"They are at their best, but you have a point," said Gul, leading the way back to their group, where Rahim, Vihaan, Fatima and Jez were waiting with the group's cars.  As the rest of the group walked up, they flicked various switches in their cars, bathing the wheel arches, headlight surrounds, dashboards and rear windows in various coloured spots of light, eliciting 'oohs' and 'aaahs' from various passers-by, as well as a steady stream of enquiries, which Rash passed off with practised ease any time any time he got one.

"Do you understand any of this?" Stefan said into his ear, as a group of people near them were engaged in what was to him a near-incomprehensible discussion.

"One word in ten, and that's from hanging around Rahim," Rash answered.

"How come you never got into this?" asked Stefan.

Rash shrugged.  "Wasn't that interested, mate, not like he was.  You know you are or you aren't?  I learned a little, enough to help and so I don't look a complete prat in front of the kids, but I was always more into bikes."

"He ever come and see you?"

"You mean at the races?  Yeah, if he isn't doing something with the cars or the kids – like I'll come to his things if I'm not working or busy training or whatever.  Besides, we grew up together – it'd be pretty shitty if we didn't!"

"Was he at the one where we met?"

"No, he had a thing on that day.  He's said he'll try and be at our next one."

"That'd be nice."

Just then Rahim whistled loudly between his teeth.  "Right, everyone, get in – we'll do one lap, drop the guys off for Isha, park again, and then _really_ show 'em what we've got later.  Right?"

"Yes, boss," came the chorus, making Rash grin.

"Rash, you're with me and Fatima – and you can take that grin off your face.  Stefan, you go in with Kev and Vihaan.  The rest of you, you know the drill."

With fistbumps and a couple of laughing challenges the group scattered, Stefan following the two men to a Citroen that had been so modified it barely retained any of its original shape from the headlamps down.  It started with a roar and then settled into the low rumble of a high-powered engine as Kev pulled out to follow Rahim, Fatima, and Rash.

"So how'd you guys all meet?" asked Stefan as they drove.

"I got involved when my little cousin started going off the rails," explained Kev.  "He moved on – he's doing an apprenticeship with some affiliate of one of the big car companies – but I stayed involved."

"And I actually met Rahim at uni," explained Vihaan.  "We were doing a psych unit together, we got talking, he explained what he was doing, I got interested and came down to check it out, and the rest was history.  How about you?  How'd you meet Rash?"

"Duathlon," explained Stefan.  "Then we just kept on running into each other around town, and as you say the rest was history." He looked around at the crowds standing on the sidelines behind the barriers as they drove past.  "So this is about showing off what you've done to your cars?"

"Or what you can do with your cars," explained Kev.  "They're not all modded... or not that you can see.  It's still about showing what you've – **_FUCK,"_** he said in unison with the others as a car behind them spun its wheels, cut in and nearly slammed into their back.  "Who the fuck was that?"

"Dunno, but Ebony's giving them what for," said Vihaan, lowering the window to hear the tirade as, to the accompaniment of jeers and whistles, Ebony unleashed a tirade of invective on the driver's ancestry, personal habits and driving ability, her command of language all the more impressive for being delivered in a strong, clear soprano.  _"And next time ask Mummy before you take her car out!"_ she finished, to a wave of laughter and applause.

"So they're good with women down here?" asked Stefan.  "I'm surprised."

"Well, it’s not great but it’s OK if they know you and know you know your shit," said Vihaan.  "Women are a minority still but you do see them… and they're not just there as track girls or anything."

"That's good – hey, what's he doing?" asked Stefan, twisting around as he saw movement in the car behind him.

"Relax, the guy in the passenger seat's giving him what for," said Kev, checking his rear view mirror.

"Good, I was wondering if we were going to have to get out and defend her," said Stefan.

"I reckon a good lot of the crowd'd beat you to it," said Vihaan.  "Ebony's pretty well known.  Especially when she and Fatima turned up in a car they'd done entirely themselves and let it be known." He turned around and gave Stefan a grin.  "Did some awesome doughnuts as well."  He looked up.  "Just a quarter of a circuit to go.  And then we take a break while the guys do their prayers.  Get a coffee or something."

"Sounds good," said Stefan. 

 

* * *

 

"What's going on?" asked Stefan  a little time later as they stood in a crowd by a group of cars, watching their owners run through their mods, horsepower and other statistics which were largely lost on Rash and Stefan.

"What?" asked Rash.

"The _police,"_ Stefan said quietly in his ear.

"They'd just be checking, they usually do," said Rash.

"You sure?  That kid over there – "

"I noticed," said Rash, inconspicuously edging over to where a boy in his early teens was just about having a panic attack.  "OK there, mate?"

The boy was too overcome to answer, but one of his older friends said, "He doesn't like cops."

Rash grimaced.  "Something happen?"

"Nah, man.  No more than usual.  He just don't like 'em," said the second teenager, his accent coming out more as he spoke.  "They doin' a raid?"

"No grounds to," Rash reassured him.  "It's on private property and it's an established event.  Probably a routine patrol."

"Hey man, how come you know so much?" asked a third teen, this one older yet.

"Not knowing, just guessing," said Rash.

"You're a cop, ain't you?" he said suspiciously.

Behind him, Stefan tensed, while Rahim, Vihaan, Arman, Fatima, Mark, Jez, Kevin, Jess, Kir, Ebony and Nilaya exchanged glances.

"Um, yeah," acknowledged Rash.  "Not traffic, though."

"Ah, man, what'd you do that for?" said another member of the crowd.  "What's a nice brown boy doing in with that lot?"

"Well they can't all be white in there, can they?" said Rash reasonably.

"But don't you get shit?" asked someone else.  "Aren't they fucking racist?"

"Some, yeah," said Rash calmly.  "But I got worse doing foot patrols.  And I tell you, nothing like being called a 'fucking Paki cunt' when _you're_ in uniform to make some of the other guys in uniform think again."

The crowd was just starting to relax when the patrol car pulled up beside them and lowered a window.  Stefan was just muttering 'fuck' when the officer stuck his head out and called cheerfully, "Isobel!  What've you done to that thing now?"

"New light system, Gaz!" Isobel replied cheerfully.  "Wanna see?"

"You know the answer to that," he said cheerfully, grinning as Isobel and her group demonstrated the strobing lights on their Ford Focus.  "Beats ours," he said, as, behind the wheel, his partner cycled the lights.  "Rahim!  Got a couple of likely kids I want to talk to you about, OK if we drop 'round for a coffee, have a chat?"

"Yeah, Tuesday's probably best," said Rahim.  "At ours OK?"

"Yeah, sure, see you there!" said PC Gaz as they drove on.

"We'll probably see him later," said Rahim.  "You know him at all?"

"Know his face," said Rash thoughtfully.  "Probably in the same class at Hendon.  Mention my name Tuesday, see if it rings a bell."

"Yeah, will do," said Rahim.  "Y'okay, Stefan? You're looking a bit white.  Even for a white guy."

"Yeah, well, got a bit worried," muttered Stefan.

"Been in worse spots," said Rash, turning his head to look at Stefan.  "You've been in some of them with me."

"Yeah," said Stefan, a reminiscent smile on his face, which Rash returned, his gaze affectionate.

"Oi, Rash!" said Jez, breaking the spell.  "You still do doughnuts?"

"Not in this bloody crowd, I'm not!" retorted Rash, looking over at him.  "Too out of practice."  Under his breath, he muttered, "Timing could be better."

"Yeah, thought you were going to snog ‘im for a minute there," retorted Rahim in a similar tone. _"Not_ in this crowd."

"We weren't," retorted Rash and Stefan in unison.

"Yeah, well, ease up on the eyefucking, eh?" muttered Rahim, turning his attention to the next car coming around the circuit.

 _"Eyefucking?"_ Stefan muttered into Rash's ear.

"Beats me, mate," muttered Rash in return, while beside them, Rahim snorted.

"Oh, get fucked," muttered Rash.

"Probably getting more than you are," Rahim muttered back.

"Don't bet on it," retorted Rash under his breath, while beside him, Stefan snickered.

"Stop boasting, you lot," Kev added to the quiet chorus.

Rash, Rahim and Stefan snorted with laughter, but held their peace.

 

* * *

 

"You never told me you could do doughnuts," said Stefan to Rash as Rahim lead the convoy out of the car park.

"And when would it have come up? I can't exactly do them on the bike!" retorted Rash, making Rahim, Fatima and, beside them, Vihaan, crack up.  "You ever learn to do them?"

"In Jan's van?  Fat chance!" was Stefan's reply, making Rash snort with laughter.  "Builder's van," he explained for the benefit of the others.

"Wouldn't do sixty if you drove it off a cliff," explained Rash.

"Hey, be nice, I've some fond memories of that van!" said Stefan, tapping the side of Rash's thigh with the back of his fingers, then tapping it again until Rash got the idea and, giving him a fond headshake, dropped his hand to link his fingers with Stefan's.

"So now what?" he asked Rahim. 

"We're all going back to ours for a debrief and a wind-down," Rahim explained.  "You want to join us or will we drop you off?"

"We'll join you," said Rash, after exchanging a quick glance and nod with Stefan.

"Great!  We'll try not to bore you with too much car talk, Rash, Stefan," said Fatima.

"We'll cope, it's your house," said Rash with a smile.

As the other three fell into car talk, Rash gave Stefan's fingers a firm squeeze, waiting until Stefan looked at him to give him a heavy lidded glance and a secret smile, rubbing his thumb over the fleshy part of the palm of Stefan's hand.

Stefan squeezed his fingers back, pressing the side of his foot against Rash's.

 

* * *

 

Rahim drove them to a typical two-up-two-down terraced house, parking the car and leading Rash and Stefan into a living room where sofas with brightly-coloured throws and piled cushions as well as several ottomans were arranged around three sides of a square coffee table so big it was almost more like a sawn-off dining table.  A large flatscreen TV was mounted above the fireplace, with a DVR and Skybox on one side and a stereo on the other.

"Rash, Stefan, make yourself at home, " said Rahim.  "Rash, show Stef where the loo is, will you? Otherwise relax, we’ll get some coffee and cake sorted. Tea or coffee do you?"

"A coffee would be great, thank you. You sure we can't help?" said Stefan.

"No, we've got it down to a finely-tuned pit-stop," Fatima assured him with a grin.

"Don't worry, we'll yell if we need a hand," Rahim added.

"You would too," said Rash with a smile, Rahim returning it as he headed to the kitchen and Rash showed Stefan where the facilities were.  The two returned to the living room as the others filed in, claiming two seats of one of the sofas. Rash smiled at Stefan and gave him a quick kiss before settling down with their shoulders pressed together and joining in with the general chat as the others settled in too, checking their Facebook and Instagram feeds and oohing and ahhing at the various pictures.

"OK if we tag you in these, Rash?  Stefan?" asked Vihaan.

"Should be fine," said Rash.  "We'll have a look at them and let you know if there's any you need to untag, though."

"What's your surname, Stefan?" Vihaan asked him.

"Kowolski, that's K-O-W- _O_ -L-S-K-I.  Most people spell it with an a," Stefan explained.

"OK, sent a request. Now let's start…" said Vihaan, his voice trailing off.

Rash and Stefan, scrolled through their feeds while simultaneously helping themselves to coffee and cake, consuming it and accepting friend requests and liking pictures as they listened to the chat about car tech, suppliers, and other enthusiasts' car mods, until Kir, Arman, Jess and Jas got to their feet with a 'Goodnight' to all, letting themselves out.

"Right," said Rahim, "anyone want a beer?"

"Or a glass of wine?" added Fatima.

At a chorus of agreement, Rash asked, "Don't they – ?"

"No, they're cool with it," said Vihaan.  "But we tend not to.  It's like eating meat in front of your vegan friends, you know?"

An amused chuckle ran around the room as beers were opened and glasses of wine poured, while the chatting turned general again, Rash smiling at Stefan as they each took a beer, clinking their bottles together before he settled against Stefan.

"Want to put on _Gogglebox_ , wind our minds down?"  suggested Vihaan.  "We DVR'd it."

This was met with a mix of "yeah!" and "Oh God,", while Stefan said affectionately to Rash, who was grimacing like he'd bitten into an unripe lemon, "You're a fucking TV snob, mate."

"I just don't see the point of all that shite you watch," retorted Rash, even as he rubbed the nape of Stefan's neck with his thumb, making him catch his breath.

"Not his fault Aunt Nas brought him up highbrow," put in Rahim.  "Come on, Rash!"

"It's your house, it's got nothing to do with me," retorted Rash, settling back against the couch, smiling at Stefan when Stefan put an arm around him.  "I still don't see the point of it," he muttered under his breath to Stefan.

"There, there, darling," quipped Stefan, kissing his temple.

"Cheer up, Rash," said Rahim cheerfully.  "At least it's not _Geordie Shore."_

Rash groaned and dropped his head against Stefan's shoulder, while Stefan cracked up.

 

* * *

 

Later, as some of the people started saying their goodnights and leaving, Rash looked over at Rahim and said, "You look like you've settled in there for the night, mate."

Rahim, who was leaning against Vihaan, while Fatima leant against him, groaned.  "I'm too comfortable to move."

"We'll …"

"Nah, two choices.  One, we shout you a taxi.  Two, you crash in the spare bed."

"You've got one of those too, eh?" said Rash, raising his beer in a toast to his cousin.  "Yeah, I don't feel like moving either.  OK if we crash here, Stef?"

"Suits me if it suits you?" said Stefan, looking over at Rahim, Fatima and Vihaan.

"I wouldn't have let him offer if it didn't," said Fatima.

"And we _have_ changed the sheets," said Vihaan.

"I won't ask why," said Rash, earning a thrown napkin from his cousin.

"Is it just me," said Stefan to Vihaan and Fatima, "or are they acting like they're brothers or something?"

"Nah, we were practically raised together," said Rahim. 

"Me and Leila, Rahim and I and kind of Raha, she was a little younger though," explained Rash.  "Mum was studying and then working so we spent a lot of time at Aunt Minoo and Uncle Giv's, even once we stopped living with them.  That was when we were, what, four and five?"

"Yeah, Jaleh was on the way, not that we realised it then," put in Rahim.  "And Mum says she would have been happy to have them longer but Aunt Nas said, no, enough, family is family but it's time.  And we all lived close enough to walk, anyway," he explained.

"If we were in a group," put in Rash.  "And most people knew us anyway, the ones that were home."

"So we'd all go over to Aunt Minoo and Uncle Giv's in the afternoon," said Rash.  "At least until we were doing our GCSEs and we needed the quiet to study.  And then Rahim'd come to ours until Mum got home."

"Yeah, meant the kids didn't have to be quiet," said Rahim.  "We tried just going to ours but it seemed weird.  And…"

"Yeah," said Rash, quirking his eyebrows at Rahim.

"So how did you all meet, anyway?" said Stefan, breaking the momentary awkward silence.  "Vihaan and you met at uni, but…?"

"Same thing, social work degree," explained Fatima.  "We were doing a group project – we were all in the same group – and Rahim was talking about his project, he was just getting it underway at that point."

"So she came over to see it – she still had to be chaperoned by her brother at that stage, luckily we were mates as well," explained Rahim.  "And she was asking all these questions about the cars, and I said, would you like to have a try?  Took to it like a duck to water."

"Armin nearly had a fit, until he saw I was really enjoying it," said Fatima.  "Mama and Dad did have a fit when we started working on his car together – it was all 'you'll spoil your hands for embroidery!'  It helped that I still kept it up and keep my hands as nice as I can."

"And Armin is still involved," said Vihaan.  "Good thing he's always backed you up.  Even when you stopped practising and he kept on."

"I think it helped that I didn't leave behind the faith, just the – well, some of the practices," said Fatima.  _"That_ everyone can swallow.  And they always were pretty liberal, luckily.  They still see you as Rahim's friend, though, sorry," she said, leaning over to squeeze Vihaan's arm.

"Eh, same with mine," said Vihaan.  "Far as my lot are concerned, we're housemates."

"And officially Fatima lives with a friend of hers," explained Rahim to Rash and Stefan.  "So she spends the odd night over when _her_ boyfriend isn't there.  Just for appearances."

"A little bit of hypocrisy can help," said Fatima.   "Your family fine with you, Rash?  Stefan?"

Rash snorted.  "Mum and Leila seemed to know before we did.  Not to mention the aunts."

"And my family are all in Poland so it's not the same," said Stefan.  "Mum seems to have accepted Rash as family same as Nasreen's taken me in – at least as much as you can over the phone."

"You going over to meet them, Rash?" asked Rahim.

"Probably this summer, we need to work out the details," said Rash.

"Not even sure if he needs a visa, with this bloody Brexit thing," said Stefan.  "He shouldn't, but…"

"You're all right with that, Stefan?" asked Vihaan.  "I mean, you don't have to arrange residency?" he clarified, at Stefan's puzzled look.

"No, I've got British citizenship," explained Stefan.  "Have for years."

"Thank God for that," said Fatima.

"Yeah, rather like having him here," said Rash, giving Stefan a warm look and smiling when he hugged him, catching his lips in a quick kiss.  "So you haven't got anything on tomorrow, have you?" he asked his cousin and his partners.

"Nah," said Rahim.  "Otherwise I _would_ have dragged my arse off the couch and taken you home."

"We'll all take it easy until about midday," explained Fatima. 

"So just help yourself if you surface before we do, you know the drill," said Rahim, chuckling as Vihaan yawned.  "That wasn't a hint," he said.

"But we should all think about turning in before we all fall asleep," said Fatima.  "Rahim, you and Vihaan have enough clean pyjamas and tshirts – they should fit.  And do we have any spare toothbrushes?" 

"I'll check," said Rahim, giving her a quick but warm kiss before sliding out from behind her, getting to his feet.

 

* * *

 

Rash and Stefan were grateful to take advantage when it turned out there were spare toothbrushes available, sparing them the delights of finger brushing before retiring to bed, Rash wearing a pair of Vihaan's pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt as they were much of a size, and Stefan wearing an old t-shirt of Rahim's and a pair of pyjama bottoms that were only slightly too tight for him.

Neither felt in the least like sleeping despite the late hour, so they curled up together, legs tangled,  chatting in between fervent kisses.      

"Tonight was good," said Stefan, nibbling along Rash's jawline and up to his lips, tugging his lower lip between his teeth before kissing him.

"Yeah.  It's still new, isn't it?  Going out as a couple," said Rash when they came up for air, sliding his hand around the back of Stefan's neck.

"Yeah.  Keep meaning to take you out for dinner," Stefan murmured against his lips.

"Or me take you out for dinner," Rash countered before kissing him again.  "Well, we did do things arse-about."

"That doesn't mean we can't date," said Stefan.  "Makes it even more important."

"Yeah.  That'd be nice," said Rash, rolling over on top of Stefan and taking his mouth in a deep kiss, grinding their erections together.

"Rash," Stefan laughingly protested, once Rash let him up for air, "we can't shag with your cousin next door!"

"Stefan," Rash retorted in like manner, "we pretty much lost our virginities simultaneously on either side of the same wall.  Sixth form party," he said in answer to Stefan's surprised look, just visible in the ubiquitous lights of London filtering through the blinds.

Stefan snickered.  "I know the type," he said, "but what he can ignore ten years back is one thing – "

"Shh!" Rash hissed in his ear, holding up a finger.

They held their breath, straining their ears, and heard it again – a feminine whimper, followed by two deeper groans, followed by a _ssshhhh!_ and smothered giggling.

Rash and Stefan's eyes met and they clapped their hands over their mouths to stifle their own laughter, Rash pulling Stefan close and covering his mouth with his own as the laughter threatened to escape.

"Go them," murmured Stefan, once they'd come up for air.

"Well they won't be noticing _us,"_ replied Rash.  "Unless them doing it'll put you off?"

Stefan paused to consider, then, "No," he said, pulling a chuckling Rash down.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Rash stirred from a deep sleep, prodded by the insistent nagging of his bladder.

Untangling himself reluctantly from Stefan, who muttered in protest and clutched at Rash in his sleep, he retrieved his t-shirt and pyjamas from where they'd been tossed aside and pulled them on along with Stefan's jumper. He tucked his pillow next to Stefan in their 'just got up for a pee/cuppa/whatever, will be back' signal, smiling when Stefan clutched it in his sleep, snuffling at it and making a contented sound.

He walked as quietly as possible to the loo, performing the necessary ablutions and then padding softly down to the kitchen.  He cleared his throat to announce himself, closing his eyes quickly as he saw Fatima fling her hood over her bared head.

"Sorry!" he hissed.  "You want me to leave you to it, come back?"

"No!" she assured him.  "Should have had the hood up if I knew people were here."

"It _is_ your place," Rash pointed out.

"And I should be past this," she said.  "I stopped wearing hijab second year at uni.  I just don't feel comfortable without something on my head."

"Eh, mum wore a scarf until I was five, for the same reason," said Rash. "And that was with her actively choosing to renounce Islam and its codes when she left Iran."

"And how old were you when that happened?" she asked as she poured water into the cups, on the teabags.  "There's still some water if you want," she added.

"Thanks.  About two months _in utero_ , I think," Rash added as he checked the water level, then decided on instant coffee as the fastest thing to make.  "Two or three anyway."

Fatima whistled soundlessly.  "A while," she said.

"Yeah," said Rash as he poured the water on the coffee, then added milk.  "You need this?"

"No," she replied.

"I'll put it away then," he said, adding as he did so, "You'll know when you feel comfortable taking it off.  And if that's never…"

"Then it's never," she finished.

"Yeah," said Rash, picking up the cups.  "I'll leave you to it, then," he said, smiling in answer to her smile and 'thank you' as he padded down the hall to the second bedroom, exchanging a quick grin with Rahim as he emerged from the main bedroom before he slipped in to their own, closing the door behind him with his heel before he put the cups down on the bedside table, tugging the pillow out of Stefan's grip and sliding in, chuckling quietly as Stefan glommed onto him.

"Where'd you go?" muttered Stefan.

"Pee.  Coffee," explained Rash. "Over here if you want one."

"L'ter," muttered Stefan, snuggling his head into Rash's shoulder.  "You've got clothes on," he muttered, a definite note of complaint in his voice.

"What, you want me naked?  It'll be barefoot and pregnant, next," quipped Rash.

"Nah, your hips are too narrow," retorted Stefan, his hand sliding beneath his jumper to pat Rash's flat stomach.

Rash snorted with laughter as he reached over to get his coffee.  "This is one of the weirdest conversations we've had, mate," he said, taking a long draught.

"Mn," murmured Stefan, settling down to sleep, his fingers hooked in the waistband of Rash's pyjama bottoms.

Rash chuckled to himself, pressing his lips to Stefan's hair, before taking another sip of his coffee.

 

* * *

 

"You don't _have_ to leave right now," Rahim pointed out at the front door, a couple of hours later.

"Nah, we'll leave you to it, we've got stuff needs doing," said Rash, hugging him and Vihaan and nodding to Fatima, blinking with surprise when she stepped forward and put a hand on his arm, offering her cheek to be kissed.

"Yeah, it was nice to meet you all," said Stefan, squeezing Rahim and Vihaan's elbows but offering Fatima a warm smile.  "Happy to have you any time.  Within reason," he qualified.

"You sure you don't want us to drive you?" Vihaan said.

"No!  It's a lovely day, we'll walk, at least as far as the station," said Rash.  "See you soon, guys."

"See you," came the chorus as they left.

"Well, that was nice," said Stefan as they walked down the street.

"You think?  I'm glad you like them," said Rash.  "Rahim's practically a brother, and I like Vihaan and Fatima."

"Yeah, interesting trio," said Stefan.  "Hope they manage OK."

"So do I, they're all good for each other," said Rash.  "Suppose it's like any relationship – they have to work out what makes them happy and then do it."

"Yeah," said Stefan, smiling and tucking his arm through Rash's as they turned the corner.

Rash didn't answer in words, but gave him an affectionate look and a brilliant smile, squeezing his arm as they walked down the road.

 

**Author's Note:**

> The car meet is at the [Ace Cafe in London](https://london.acecafe.com/), where they have regular... you guessed it... car meets. I'm not sure IRL what facilities they have for prayer, but I presume there'd be some way they could manage. 
> 
> Isha or Isha'a is the Islamic evening prayer, which would have been 7:30 p.m. on that particular date in London. Yes, I looked it up!
> 
> The title is a pun on 'Copacabana', since the working title of the fic was 'at the car meet'. 
> 
> For those of you who need to know, this is Rahim:
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://imgur.com/4wOrsSE)  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> This is Fatima:
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://imgur.com/zirnLnc)  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> This is Vihaan:
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>  
> 
> [](http://imgur.com/sRkHCVj)  
> 


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